Ingot-mold



B. ATHA.

-INGUT MOLD.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 10

wv@ y N. PcTERs, Phnmlmnngmpher, waimngnm, o. c.

TTED STATES PATENT EETCE.

BENJAMIN ATHA, oE NEWARK, NEW JEEsEY.

lNeoT-MoLo.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No, 33,281, dated November 10, 1385, Application filed May 5, 1885. Serial No. 164,443. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN ATHA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and-State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ingot-Molds and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to mold ingots composed of differing metals or qualities of metal from which to manufacture guns, guntubes, armor-plates for ships and fortifications, and other articles, which layers will be more evenly and perfectly united or welded together than those in ingots manufactured by the means and processes now in vogue.

A further object is to facilitate the process of casting, whereby the cost of producing the ingots is reduced.

The invention consists in the means for casting ingots, substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and embodied in the clauses of the claims. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mold for casting ingots, portions thereofbeing in section to show more clearly the interior construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through line x, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan showing forms of molds preferred in manufacturing gun-ingots.

Several methods of forming heavy ingots have been devised and employed with more or less success, the process most commonly practiced being to heat a plate or plates to redness, then to arrange them in or in connection with a suitable mold, and finally to cast the molten metal around or against them. This method secures a cohesion of layers of considerable strength; but when the plates made from such ingots are tested they are always found to possess imperfections in the weld. In other cases compound ingots of iron and steel have been formed for other purposes by casting with a mold having one or more movable plates or slabs therein. The slab being in positionin said mold, one layer or body of metal is cast and allowed to set, when the said slab is removed, leaving a space in the mold, into which a second layer of metal of a differing quality is cast, forming the compound ingot. Inasmu-ch as the slabs used in this process are liable to warp when subjected to the extreme heat and weight of the molten metal, and thus allow the said metal to escape between the edges of the slabs and the sides of the mold, and, hardening, to cement the said slab fast to the mold, so that it cannot be readily withdrawn before the mass of cooling metal becomes uniit for perfect welding, this device or process cannot be successfully employed in casting ingots of a size adapted for the purposes for which the ingots formed by my improved device are intended; but, even should the slabs work freely in the mold referred to, the process of withdrawing the several side slabs, when such are used, successively form a core just cast and set, would consume so much time as to allow the air a sufficient contact with the core-surface on t-he portion of the sides thereof to form a coating or film of oxide which would seriously interfere with a proper cohesion of the different layers. To overcome these difficulties and others of practical importance, and to secure an ingot of differing layers in which one casting surrounds another and in which the cohesion of adjacent layers is perfect, the said layers being joined under the best conditions of heat and without any intervening oxides, I construct my improved mold as follows:

In the drawings, a indicates a bed or base, made preferably of cast metal, in which are formed independent channels or ducts d d, through which the molten metal may run from certain separate funnels or receptacles c c for the poured metal to upright molds b b, said ducts being preferably provided with. linings of fire-brick in any suitable manner. The

molds for forming the compound steel ingots are removable from said base or bed and have inclined sides, as shown in Fig. l, whereby they may be readily drawn from the newlycast metal before the latter becomes too cool t0 secure subsequently a perfect welding of IOO layers. Said molds are arranged in a concentric series or nest, as shown in the several figures, e being an upright center mold having therein a core-chamber, e, communicating with the funnel c through the duct d. Outside of and around said core or center mold is arranged, preferably before castingl the core, a mold, b, which forms a chamber, f, with the core-mold or the core itself. Said chamber f has communication through the duct e with another funnel, c,

' The opening at the top of the outer mold is ordinarily as large or larger than the base of the inner mold, to allow the said Vinner mold to be drawn therethrough. I prefer, further'- more, to have a greater degree of inclination in the side walls of the outer moldth'a'n is in those of the inner mold, as illustrated in Fig", 1, so that the layers of the ingot will each be proportionably thicker at the same en'd of the said ingot. When the ingot is subsequently forged to bring it to a prismatic shape, the several layers will be proportionately compressed and lie parallel, being then of ap; proximately equal thickness throughout their length. In casting with this mold or set of molds, the core metal, which is preferably of a harder 'grade of steel than that of the outer layer, is poured through the furnace c', filling the chamber e. When the 'm' etal is 'suiciently set or hardened to hold its own weight, the center mold is drawn loff from the core by suitable means, and at the same time, or as soon thereafter as possible, steel of a 'differing grade of hardness is poured through the fun'- nel c and rises quickly and evenly around the core. As this said 'core still retains a very high degree of heat, and as no or e'x'- 4 tremely little opportunity is given for the oxygen of the air to come in contact with and coat the surface of the core with a nlm o'f ox'- ide, a complete and perfectly cohering weld or union of layers is formed. Thus cast, the

layers of the ingot, when the latter is subject;

ed to the forging process,cann'ot be separated and the ingot rendered worthl'ess for the Ypur'- poses proposed.

rIhe center mold may, under some circumstances, be drawn off before the outer mold is placed in position to form the chamber around and larger than the desired barrelor bore in the gun. By means of this mold I forma gun-ingot with a hard-steel `c'or'e'and an outer layer of soft and elastic metal, the core being round, so that when bored out a barrel-lining of hard steel is formed of uniform thickness and power 'of resistance throughout its periphery,

In forming ingots of concentric layers of .hard and soft metal for armor-plates for vessels, fortifications, &c., I prefer to make the molds oblong, and for this purpose I may have suitable molds adapted to form two or more oblong cast cores vincluded or surrounded by one inclosing cast jacket.

yAlthough the devices shown in the drawings are especially adapted for bottom easting, it is evident that they may be employed in top casting Without making any material changes in their construction. In using them in they latter process, however, I would prefer to fill the runners with clay in any ordinary manner, so that the metal cannot be wasted by escaping linto the funnels. In said process of top casting I may enlarge the opening in the top of the center inold t'o allow the metal to be poured in more freely.

It will be evident that the features enrbodied in clauses three and seven of the claim are applicable alike to molds arranged on v beds with ducts for bottom casting, and also to molds used by pouring the metal into their tops, or in any way known as ,'top casting.,

I do not claim herein, broadly, the combination of an inner and outer mold and a base, the illh'e H1016. being', Capable Of Withdrawal from the ingot 'cast 'within it, whereby an ingot may be cast, one mold Vmay be withdrawn from it, and another casting may be made between the first 'casting and the other inold, this being the subject-matter of another application led May 5, '1885, Serial N o. 164,443.

The claims for the processes herein described are reserved for an independent ap-, plication numbered serially 152,462.

What I claim ist-4 1. A series of separable inner 'and outer molds for casting compound ingots,having independent chambers therein, in combination with a bed having ducts leading to said chambers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2.l In combination with a bed, a, having independent ducts, the inner and outer molds removable from the bed and separable from one another, and the funnel's or receptacles for the poured metal, substantially 'asfan'd for fthe purposes set forth.

I3. In combination with a bed, a mold having walls of one degree fof inclination, and a larger mold with a wall of a differing degree of inclination, said molds being removable from the bed and from one another, substanti-ally as and for 'the purposes set forth. r

4. In combination, a bed, a, hav-ing indepen ent ducts therein, inner and outer molds arranged thereon, separable from one another and from the bed, and having separated chambers 'and independent funnels, said 'parts being" arranged fand combined substantially as I"set forth.

f5. '11n cemtmaticn with a bed navinginde- 'pendent ducts, removable molds b b', rone 4'of i which is seated over the mouth or eit 'or one IIO of said ducts and the other of which molds is seated over the mouth or exit of one of said l duets, and the other of which is larger than the rst,to form a chamber with the ingot east in the rst said mold, the other of said ducts leading into said chamber, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination, a bottom, base, or bed,

u, having ducts d d and funnels c c', and removable inner and outer molds, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In combination with a suitable beu or base, inner and outer molds, the inner of which is provided with tapering sides and is of one May, 1885.

BENJAMIN ATHA.

Witnesses:

OLIVER BRAKE, FREDK. F. CAMPBELL. 

